2003 LEXUS ES Complaints

DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE SPEEDOMETER, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO READ THE GAUGE WENT THE SUN WAS SHINING BRIGHTLY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. *PH *JB

STRONG SULFUR SMELL INSIDE CAR WHEN STOPPING AFTER BRISK ACCELERATION. A/C IN NORMAL SETTING. LEXUS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THERE IS EVEN A SERVICE BULLETIN ON SULFUR COMPLAIN SMELL. ODOR IS SO STRONG THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE GET NAUSEATED.*AK I WOULD HAVE NEVER BOUGHT THIS CAR HAVE THE DEALER MAKE ME AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THEY KNEW ABOUT THIS DEFECT BEFORE I TOOK DELIVERY OF CAR. NEED NHTSA HELP SINCE THERE ARE MANY LEXUS OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT SULFUR SMELL AND LEXUS IS IGNORING US - I GUESS THEY HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM AND DO NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX OR CORRECT PROBLEM. THEY EVEN TOLD ME TO USE ONLY AMOCO PREMIUM SINCE THEY CLAIM IT HAS THE LOWEST SULFUR CONTENT. ALSO, IF THE SULFUR SMELL IS GETTING INSIDE THE CAR HOW ABOUT THE CARBON MONOXIDE WHICH IS ALSO GETTING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. ALL THESE FUMES ARE BEING SUCKED IN BY THE A/C SYSTEM AND I'M SURE THAT IN THE LONG RUN SOMEBODY WILL GET SICK. - WE, LEXUS OWNERS NEED OUR GOVERNMENT TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE SINCE LEXUS IS TRYING TO IGNORE THESE PROBLEM FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. THANK YOU.

THE TRANSMISSION IN THIS CAR IS UNPREDICTABLE. IT JERKS, JUMPS AND ON OCCASION LURCHES AHEAD. IT WILL HESITATE WHEN STARTING FROM STAND STILL OR WHEN MOVING AHEAD AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. I HAVE REPEATEDLY TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER. THEY HAVE DONE 2 COMPUTER DOWN LOADS OF A SUPPOSED FIX. THE FIRST LASTED A DAY. I'VE BEEN TOLD TO USE ONLY PREMIUM FUEL, AS THIS WOULD HELP. I'VE USED PREMIUM SINCE THAT TIME WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN THE CARS PERFOMANCE. MY WIFE DOES NOT WANT TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE OF A NEAR T-BONE IN A CROSS PATTERN TRAFFIC. I'VE HAD 4 SIMILAR EXPERINCES. THIS PROBEM BECAME APPARENT AT ABOUT 1000 TO 1200 MILES AND EXITS TODY AT ABOUT 4000 MILES. ALL OF THESE QUERKY PROBLEMS EXIST BELOW 40 MILES PER HOUR. IF YOU DRIVE VERY AGGRESSIVELY (STOMP ON THE ACCELERATOR)THEY AREN'T EVIDENT...TO SOME EXTE THE SAME IS TRUE IF YOU BARELY DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR WHEN STARTING TO MOVE.

THERE IS A PRONOUNCED HESITATION WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS FLOORED. THIS HAS BEEN THERE SINCE I LEASED THE CAR AND I DO NOT KNOW IF IT IS DUE TO A TRANSMISSION LAPSE OR THROTTLE PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF NEAR ACCIDENTS WHEN I PULLED OUT TO PASS AND THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION. LEXUS HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS PROBLEM AND OFFERED A FIX, BUT IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THEY NOW SAY THAT THE CAR IS PERFORMING AS DESIGNED.

I REALIZE THAT MY PROBLEM, WITH A BAD RADIO IS NOT A MECHANICAL ONE. HOWEVER, I AM SENDING THIS FOR YOUR INFORMATION, AND TO INDICATE THAT LEXUS DOES NOT LIVE UP TO ITS ADS AS PURSUING PERFECTION I HAVE SPOKEN TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT LEXUS, IN MY DEALERSHIP AND AT THE MAIN OFFICE OVER A PERIOD OF 10 MONTHS. I HAVE EVEN WRITTEN TO THE VICE PRESIDENT OF LEXUS. HE DID NOT REPLY TO MY FIRST LETTER SO I SENT HIM A SECOND LETTER, CERTIFIED. RETURN RECEIPT. I RECEIVED A RESPONSE TO THAT SECOND LETTER FROM SOMEONE AT CUSTOMER RELATIONS. IN ADDITION TO THAT CALL, I HAVE RECEIVED A CALL FROM A SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR, AND FROM ANOTHER PERSON. THE FINAL DECISION SEEMS TO BE THAT, ALTHOUGH THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE RADIO IN THE ES 300, AND THAT THEY REALIZE THAT IT IS DUE TO A FAULTY ANTENNA IN THE REAR WINDOW, BUT THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. I TOLD THAT PERSON THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME AND AM WAITING FOR A RESPONSE WHICH I ASSUME WILL BE NEGAZTIVE.

DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE SPEEDOMETER CONSUMER CANNOT READ THE GAUGE DURING THE BRIGHT DAYLIGHT HOURS. THE POINTER IS BRIGHT RED, AND WITH THE BRIGHT SUN SHINING DOWN, IT IS VERY HARD TO SEE WHERE THE DIAL IS ON THE DASHBOARD. *AK *MR

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH DRIVER WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A CONCRETE BARRIER. BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS, AND MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

SINCE MY ACQUISITON OF A 2003 LEXUS ES-300, THE VEHICLE HAS DISPLAYED VERY UNEVEN SHIFTING AND HESTITATION AS THE TRANSMISSION UPSHIFTS AND DOWNSHIFTS, PARTICULARLY AT LOW SPEEDS. IN RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINT AFTER 2,000 MILES OF DRIVING, THE DEALER EXAMINED THE PROBLEM AND I WAS TOLD THAT LEXUS HAD PROVIDED A SOLUTION IN THE FORMS OF A "RE-FLASH" FOR THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER. THIS WAS PERFORMED, HOWEVER, FAILED TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION AT ALL. WHEN I COMPLAINED A SECOND TIME AFTER 5,600 MILES OF OPERATION, THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT NOTHING FURTHER COULD BE DONE AND REFERRED ME TO THE LEXUS NATIONAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION LINE. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS I WAS TOLD BY A NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED AND NOTHING COULD/WOULD BE DONE. IN ITS PRESENT CONDITION, THE VEHICLE IS BOTH UNPLEASANT TO DRIVE AND UNSAFE SINCE IT HESITATES BEFORE ACCELERATING.

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN PULLING FROM A STOP OR TURNING A CORNER FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE HESITATION WAS NORMAL. THIS HESITATION HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN THREE TIMES SINCE OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *PH

IGNITION KEY CAN BE REMOVED WHEN IN NEUTRAL AND ENGINE IS OFF, PERMITTING CAR TO ROLL.*AK